About the Event

Join Us for the HLA:IDEAS Conference!

HLA:IDEAS is an incubator for non-profit organisations in healthcare. Our programme is open to all healthcare professionals and students involved in running a not-for-profit organisation, whether you're just starting out or have been operating for a few years.

Each year, we bring together these organisations in-person to network, share ideas, and support each other. As we grow, we remain committed to evaluating and improving our initiatives, always striving to enhance both ourselves and the broader community. We invest in the future leaders and organisations of healthcare.

The HLA:IDEAS Conference unites our participating organisations and the HLA Community. This event provides an opportunity for our community to meet the inspiring individuals behind these impactful organisations, while the organisations gain valuable insights and support from our community.

To secure your place, please complete your payment and fill out the registration form in the 'Register Here’ section of the portal once you have access. The event is free to attend; however, a £5 fee is charged to confirm your attendance. 

Join us for a day of learning, networking, and celebration as we work together to shape the future of healthcare.

  • Date: Friday 18th September 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Location: The Athenaeum, 107 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5ER
  • Dress code: Men are generally expected to wear a collared shirt and jacket, with ties optional until 7pm. Women should dress with equivalent formality. Service uniforms, as well as religious, traditional, or formal national costumes, are also permitted.

Instructors

Ali Jawad

Director

Ali is the Director of HLA:IDEAS, as well as General Director at The Healthcare Leadership Academy. He is also a GP and an NHS Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneur Fellow as part of the first-ever cohort under the National Clinical Director for Innovation at NHS England. ​ Ali has a background in graphic design, technology, charities, management, and education. He regularly gives talks on innovation in medical education, and has presented his research internationally. He continues to teach locally and also leads a national teaching course for medical students.

Natalia Skorupska

Programme Manager

Dr Natalia Skorupska is an Anaesthetics trainee in London. She graduated from the University of Cambridge and went on to complete the Academic Foundation Programme in Bristol.

A Healthcare Leadership Academy Scholar (2020–2021), Natalia has since served as the Programme Manager for the HLA:IDEAS programme, fostering innovation and collaboration amongst non-profit organisations in healthcare. She is passionate about healthcare leadership, education, and research.

Johann Malawana

Founder and CEO of Medics.Academy and the HLA

Johann has been in leadership roles for more than 20 years. He founded The HLA to address many issues he faced and witnessed in his career. Johann wanted to create focus and attention on developing students and professionals earlier in their careers. The HLA intends to support these individuals so they can take up leadership roles more confidently and improve the health systems they are part of.

Johann was a former President of Barts and The London Students’ Association, a former University of London Medical Students’ Officer at ULU and the founding Editor of The Medical Student. Following the crisis caused by Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) via Medical Training Application System (MTAS) in March 2007, Johann took over the Education and Training portfolio at the BMA in September 2007. He was responsible for a lot of detailed negotiations around the education and training environment in medicine for the next three years till 2010. Johann subsequently has held several roles including on the Boards of the General Medical Council, the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board, the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Healthcare Leadership Academy. He was also the lead for Education and Training at Healthcare UK at the Department for International Trade.

Johann served as an advisor on several reviews of the medical education environment with a strong belief in the need for strong medical leadership and the power of early stage clinicians and students to be a force for good in the NHS. Many of the engagement strategies developed for these reviews were a direct result of the work Johann undertook.

Pedra Rabiee

Deputy Director Communications - The Healthcare Leadership Academy

Pedra is a final year medical student at King’s College London. She was health system intern at the WHO East Mediterranean Regional Office working on Priority Benefits Package for Universal Health Coverage. She is the host of the Guide to Global Health Podcast.  In 2019-20, she was a Scholar at The Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA), In December 2020 Pedra was appointed as the Deputy Director Communications for The HLA

The Healthcare Leadership Academy

The Healthcare Leadership Academy formed in response to demand from young clinicians and medical students to learn about leadership. Founded by Dr Johann Malawana (Course Director), former leader of the Junior Doctor Dispute, and a team of like-minded professionals (Our Faculty and Assistant Course Directors) the Healthcare Leadership Academy launched on 20th December 2016. HLA houses an exciting faculty from across the health sector and beyond. Their shared aim is to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals and develop their understanding of leadership. Too often in healthcare, leadership is confused with management. Through a combination of mentoring, Socratic discussion, and philosophical exploration, HLA aims to inspire our scholars to change the world of healthcare, one small step at a time. At a time when the world seems an ever more worrying place, it is important that the next generation of healthcare professionals truly understand how to motivate the people they work with in order to best look after the populations they serve.

The HLA:IDEAS

HLA:IDEAS is an incubator for non-profit organisations in healthcare. Our programme is open to all healthcare professionals and students involved in running a not-for-profit organisation, whether you're just starting out or have been operating for a few years.

The two-year programme empowers healthcare professionals to take their ideas further. Through educational webinars we teach them about topics relevant to starting an organisation and setting up solid foundations for further developments. They also receive close mentorship to support them with achieving their goals.

Each year, at The HLA:IDEAS Conference, we bring together these organisations in-person to network, share ideas, and support each other. As we grow, we remain committed to evaluating and improving our initiatives, always striving to enhance both ourselves and the broader community. We invest in the future leaders and organisations of healthcare.

Website - https://www.thehealthcareleadership.academy/hla-ideas